


Memories Amidst the Mist

by VoyeurTheNinja



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoyeurTheNinja/pseuds/VoyeurTheNinja
Summary: The roof of heaven,forever haunting one's mind,breaks its chains at last.
Kudos: 4





	Memories Amidst the Mist

Taking in one last, desperate gasp for air, an all-consuming darkness enveloped Ogawa's vision as he finally reached his breaking-point. Like a marionette with sliced strings, he felt his body collapsing onto the ground as the sound of the other initiates rushing ahead of him grew evermore distant. Ogawa heaved for air as he lied face-down on the floor of the cavern, the cacophony of collapsing rocks behind him barely noticeable to his now-muffled hearing.

"Shinji!"

Ogawa could barely lift a finger, let alone decipher the lone voice that called out to him. He could not feel his legs, even as they bled, his heart beating with desperation underneath his sweat-drenched training fatigues as he narrowed his eyes and smiled bitterly.

Through his muffled hearing, he heard the rumbling of falling rocks finally drawing near, and before his conscious faded away entirely, the sound of rushing footsteps and a familiar voice pierced his ears like a blade through an organ.

* * *

Ogawa's eyes shot open at the harsh rumbling of thunder, the SONG agent now finding himself staring at a ceiling as he relaxed in a large armchair. Pursing his lips, a slight shiver coursed through his hand despite his mental attempts to suppress it, and he blinked several times before sitting upright and running his gaze across the dimly-lit room. Despite Tsubasa's insistence on giving him a far more exquisite hotel for his week-off, Ogawa had simply chosen a far more simpler room in the end, in a town of his own choice as well.

A futon was placed in the middle of the tatami mat floor, neatly-kept to the point that it looked almost untouched as parts of it bathed in the warm glow of several nearby lamps. His luggage sitting undisturbed in the corner of the room, Ogawa tapped a finger on the desk next to him in thought and glanced at the curtains on one side of the room. He felt as though he needed no more sleep tonight.

Rising up from his armchair, Ogawa stepped towards the curtains and pulled them aside to gaze out the window, taking in the sight of the falling rain and streaks of lightning flashing across the sky. Outside, he could see the car-filled streets, the flashing neon-lights, and other signs of life you would find in any other bustling city. But none of that mattered to him. He instead gazed past all of that to focus on a sight distant from where he was, yet, still clear to him on this rainy evening: _The Roof of Heaven_.

Or at least, what remained of it.

Far from the shores of the city, what was left of the gigantic concert hall still remained as nothing more than ruins in the sea before him. Flashes of lightning momentarily illuminated the debris and rubble, giving brief glimpses at what was left of a structure that once stood as a proud, titanic piece of art in-of-itself. The Illuminati's attack had spared little of the thousands that attended the concert that day, and Ogawa placed a hand on the cold glass before him as screaming and shouting echoed in the back of his mind; an endless droning that barely even bothered him at this point.

He closed his eyes, drawing the chilly air into his lungs as he focused on suppressing that noise as he always did.

A minute passed. 10 minutes passed. He sorted each memory, each thought, each emotion, one after another like files in a cabinet. Then, he came upon a dark thought he had a day after the Illuminati's attack: Despite the countless casualties that were incurred on thousands of civilians, he almost felt as if none of that mattered as long as neither Tsubasa nor Maria were lost that day. A flash of red hair and a proud smile flashed before his shut eyes before he drew in a sharp breath this time. He pulled his hand away from the window and swiftly closed the curtains before he could once more glance at the wreckage of the _Roof of Heaven_.

Reopening his eyes, Ogawa tightened one hand into a fist, almost wanting to discipline himself for that very thought, but the sudden ringing of his phone on the desk caught his attention. He saw that it was Fujitaka calling him, so he stepped towards the device and cleared his throat, answering the call with a clear greeting, "Was there something you needed of me, Fujitaka?"

"Hey Ogawa, Aoi- I mean, Tomosato and I were driving around when we heard you were staying in the city we're heading to right now," Fujitaka spoke as the sound of blaring car horns could be heard from his end of the call, "She's going to be dealing with her own stuff tomorrow afternoon, so I thought we could go for some lunch together if you weren't busy?"

Sitting back down in his chair, Ogawa tapped his fingers on his desk once again in thought and gazed up at the ceiling above him. Heading out with his fellow SONG agents didn't appear to be a bad idea to him, so after several seconds, Ogawa gave his reply, "I wouldn't mind. Simply give me the time and location. I'll be there."

"Right, see you tomorrow."

Ending the call there, Ogawa placed his phone back down on the desk and switched it off before resting in his armchair once more. He pondered upon his dream from earlier and felt a cold shiver run up his spine. A memory from so many years ago, and yet, it began flashing before his sleeping eyes once more ever since the attack at the _Roof of Heaven_. With a sigh, he wondered if he could ever truly suppress the memories from his time as an initiate.

* * *

Arriving at the given location 10 minutes before the allocated time, Ogawa found himself standing in a small street in one of the quieter places of the city. Rubbing his hands together for warmth, Ogawa wore his work suit despite the casual occasion, always finding more comfort in this attire than the casual clothes that Maria and Tsubasa often insisted him to try on. Using a finger to adjust his glasses, Ogawa glanced to his left and saw that he stood outside a 'hot pot' restaurant by the name of _"PartyMart"_. Several signs indicated that it had opened up only a few months ago.

For several minutes, Ogawa simply stood unmoving at his position, watching cars drive past every now and then until he heard approaching footsteps and Fujitaka calling out to him, "Came here early, huh? Not surprising from you, I guess."

Ogawa turned around and subconsciously gave a small bow to his colleague. Upon noticing the casual winter clothes that Fujitaka wore, Ogawa could not help but realize that this was the first time he ever saw him outside of their work attire, "Good afternoon, Fujitaka. How is Tomosato, if I may ask?"

"Aoi- I mean, Tomosato's been doing alright. She's a bit busy right now, so she did some research and recommended this place for you and me to hang out at while she takes care of her things," he gestured to the front door of the restaurant with a smile and a hand on his hip, "My treat, by the way."

"I'm quite able to pay for-"

Fujitaka's eyes burned just subtly enough for Ogawa to notice, "That wasn't an offer, but a statement, just so you know," he insisted with a smile.

"... I appreciate the gesture," slightly taken aback, Ogawa bowed again graciously and Fujitaka chuckled, insisting that it was alright before leading them into the restaurant.

A bell above the doors jingled as they entered, and the two were immediately greeted by the clattering of tableware, the chattering of numerous other patrons, and the scent of food lingering in the air. The first thing that caught Ogawa's eyes were the several tables located on both sides of the single-floor restaurant, and on each side of the eatery were two conveyor belts that were attached to the tables. Plates of meat, vegetables and so on sat on them, replaced by the waitresses whenever they were emptied by the patrons as the two waited at the entrance.

Eventually, one of the busy waitresses noticed the pair and lead them to their seats after Fujitaka displayed the reservation data that he was provided.

Sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant, the two SONG agents sat across from one another as they each had their own small, metallic pots waiting in front of them alongside several bowls and tableware. Once the two had told the waitress about the type of broths each of them wanted, she took their pots from the electric stoves they sat on and went off to fetch their orders.

"Again, my treat," Fujitaka insisted as he nudged Ogawa on the arm, "You don't look like you've been eating much lately so we ain't leaving until I _think_ you've eaten enough, got it?"

"Understood," he replied with a slightly nervous smile before clearing his throat and glancing at the immense selection of meats and vegetables on the conveyor belt next to him. He rarely ever got to indulge these sorts of meals - if ever - now that he thought about it, and almost immediately, the mere sight before him provoked a growl from his stomach. It was sensation that he was used to often feeling a long time ago, "Again. Thank you, Fujitaka. You have my gratitude for this."

Waving off the formalities with a hand, Fujitaka simply kept quiet as the waitress returned with their respective broths. The two switched on their stoves and picked out whatever on the conveyor belt caught their eyes as it continued moving on. Eventually, steam from their boiling pots began to fill the air around them, all while the pair continued dipping all kinds of meats and vegetables into them. The scent rising from his pot was one that caused Ogawa to smile ever so slightly as he indulged in his meal, gracious for every bite he took.

"So, Ogawa," Fujitaka swirled the boiling food in his pot around with his chopsticks, his chin resting on his other hand, "How've you been, considering our, you know, free time lately?"

Before speaking, Ogawa took off his spectacles and placed them in his breast pocket after noticing that the steam from his pot was fogging up his glasses. Blinking several times, he simply smiled and answered, "There's been no problems, thus far."

"'Thus far', huh?" the fellow SONG agent silently glanced at him for several seconds, "Something's been on your mind?"

"Nothing-"

"Don't pretend. We've worked together for a couple years now, so it ain't hard to tell when something's up. So-" Fujitaka switched off his stove with a light tap and continued resting his chin in his hand, "What's got you down, Ogawa?"

Hesitantly switching off his own stove, Ogawa felt the steam rising from his pot brush against his face as he looked down at his hands and slowly closed his eyes, blocking out the sound of the other patrons, the music from playing in the store, everything. In that brief moment, he felt several memories return to him as he heard his older brother's voice call out to him once more in the back of his mind. It felt like the last time he had ever heard genuine fear in Souji's voice before he took up the role of the Ogawa clan's leader.

"... Did I ever mention about my earliest days in the Ogawa clan, Fujitaka?" he received a quiet shake of the head from his colleague, "It was not an easy time for me. Nor for anyone else. Our teachings were strict, in order to produce the results that they desired. I must admit that much of my time spent there involved wondering if I would be even able to survive. My older brother, Souji-" he paused, as he remembered the last memory he had of his older brother happily smiling, "He motivated me - helped me - through those times, even as he felt the pressure of eventually becoming our clan's leader weighing down on him."

His words ceased for several more seconds, and Fujitaka lifted a hand to clap him on the shoulder. He had to wonder if Ogawa had even noticed the action, "Memories from back then won't leave you alone, huh?"

Ogawa nodded, lowering his voice before continuing, "They only started resurfacing sometime after the _Roof of Heaven_ incident, even though I remember little of what occurred after the entire structure began to collapse. My memories in-between the collapse of the _Roof of Heaven_ and the final phases of SONG's recovery operation are unclear. All I remember was feeling... helpless," he bit down his lip upon needing to even describe himself in such a way.

Silence grew between them once again. Eventually, Fujitaka pulled back his hand and Ogawa reopened his eyes. Several more seconds passed in silence before they switched on their stoves and continued eating in awkward silence. It took several minutes to pass before Fujitaka found the words to break the verbal silence with.

"You do a lot more for others than you realize, you know?" he said slowly, trying to piece together the right sentence. He had to wonder if Ogawa was even listening, "Especially during the _Roof of Heaven_ incident. Even if you don't remember, I-" Fujitaka's phone began ringing in his pocket and he quickly took it out before glancing apologetically at Ogawa, "I'll be heading outside for a bit to answer this. Can't leave her hanging, after all," after receiving a nod, Fujitaka then got up and went outside to answer the call while Ogawa remained at the table.

Now by himself, Ogawa lifted a hand to call over one of the busy waitresses going around the restaurant. He was about to order something that would satisfy his parched throat when he noticed the several large scars on the arms and face of the waitress approaching him. The waitress was about to inquire Ogawa about what he needed when she, too, turned silent upon stepping in front of him. A faint expression of recognition grew on her face, before Ogawa suddenly shook his head, unsure about his sudden silence.

"Apologies. May I please order a pot of tea? For two people."

"Ah-? Of course," giving a hasty bow, the waitress then went off, leaving Ogawa alone at the table once more.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, the SONG agent sighed, confused about his actions when Fujitaka eventually returned. Pretending as if neither of that had happened, Ogawa simply returned to his meal and satisfied himself with the largest lunch he had in ages.

* * *

An hour or so later, Ogawa drew in the cold, mid-afternoon air into his lungs as he now stood outside the restaurant, Fujitaka only now just stepping out after having paid for the both of them, "I hope today made you feel better, Ogawa," Fujitaka said with a light pat on his back, "Finding this place took some time, so we were hoping that coming here would worth it."

Ogawa nodded, his gaze still fixed on the roads before him, "Send my regards to Tomosato, Fujitaka. May we meet again sometime."

Departing words now exchanged, the two SONG agents then parted ways, heading in the respective directions they came from as Ogawa walked the path back to his hotel. Placing his spectacles back on, Ogawa paid little attention to the other pedestrians, the passing-by cars, and the noisy shops as his mind simply wandered. The sight of that girl from earlier gave him pause, but he could not understand why, no matter how much focus he drew upon. Eventually, as he continued making his way back to the hotel, he heard rushing footsteps from behind him.

He heard the voice of that very girl calling out to him, and Ogawa suddenly halted before he slowly turned around to see the same waitress from earlier catching up to him. She was now dressed in pink, casual attire instead of her work uniform, a bag slung over one shoulder as she spent several seconds trying to catch her breath. Now that he got a good look at her, Ogawa noticed that she was at least around his age, with shimmering, blue eyes and neatly-kept brown hair. It was hard to take his eyes off her face.

Clearing her throat, the girl gave a deep bow and gazed at him with expectant eyes, "Do you... recognize me?"

Ogawa blinked several times, his mind attempting to sort each and every memory he had in order to identify the girl before him. Then, as if she could sense his desperate attempt to realize who she was, she slowly, hesitantly turned to her right, and Ogawa subconsciously followed her gaze. There, in the distance, were the remains of the _Roof of Heaven_ , and after several more seconds of pondering, it was as if a jigsaw puzzle had slammed itself together in his mind. He took one step back, and clutched the side of his head, memories of that day now rushing through his mind like an immense tidal wave.

"Thank you, for saving me," she finally spoke again, almost hesitantly, as she ran one hand across the scars on her right arm, "If it wasn't for you, I would've..."

He remembered now, what had occurred right after the collapse of the _Roof of Heaven_. He remembered one of the few lives he had desperately managed to save. How he had fought through immense exhaustion just to save the few survivors he had found. How he had passed out as soon as all the survivors were air-lifted by several rescue helicopters. Most importantly of all, he remembered uttering the same words that his older brother, Souji, screamed at him when he saved his life during one of their trials.

_"Don't give up on living!"_

Pulling his hand away from his head, Ogawa's gaze returned to the girl as he gave her the faintest of smiles, his mind cleared of all doubt, "Your name," he finally said, "I would like to know your name."

Returning his smile with one of her own, she folded her hands behind her back as the mid-afternoon sun shone upon her. She looked as though she couldn't believe what she was experiencing right now, "Reiko. Misora Reiko."

"It's a beautiful name," he remarked with a small nod, gazing at her for several seconds before he gave a deep bow, "Shinji. Ogawa Shinji."

"Will you visit again, Ogawa?" she immediately asked him, one of her scarred hands visibly gripping tightly onto the strap of her bag as she subconsciously took one step forward. She subsequently felt flustered from her sudden outburst and took two steps backwards, muttering what Ogawa's sharp ears picked out to be an incoherent apology.

His smile unwavering, he only took a second to gather an answer, "Of course. If you would like, perhaps we can meet up again elsewhere?" with those words uttered, Ogawa felt as though something had lifted from itself from his shoulders. Their first meeting had only lasted for several minutes, and yet, it felt like it had gone on for ages.


End file.
